Benu: Xiao long bao, which used to be filled with foie gras, is now filled with lobster coral. There’s always a gush of hot liquid and an explosion of flavor as you bite through the bun and strike the treasure within.

Benu: Xiao long bao, which used to be filled with foie gras, is now...

Benu: Xiao long bao, which used to be filled with foie gras, is now... Photo-6428354.87549 - SFGate

Gary Danko: Caviar blini.
I didn’t think caviar could get any better until I tasted it mounded on Gary Danko’s warm buckwheat blini, with sour cream and all the traditional fixings. The iced caviar, the warm, fragrant pancake,

Marlowe: Hamburger (with the secret ingredient of lamb) with a slather of horseradish aioli, crisp bacon, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, cold shredded lettuce. The fries are some of the best around,

Nojo: Chawanmushi, a Japanese custard with salty, smoky dashi broth and topped with Manila clams and green garlic. The toppings change — they could be crab with shiitake mushrooms or chicken with mushrooms and Japanese wild parsley